The Government's flagship benefit scheme Universal Credit (UC) has been criticised for being over complicated and designed with the Facebook generation in mind.

Universal Credit is the new benefit for people of working age who are on a low income or out of work.

It is managed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and replaces a series of benefits that existed before the Conservative government took power.

When fully rolled out the Universal Credit will replace housing benefits, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, working tax credit, child tax credit, income-related employment and support allowance and income support.

Universal Credit will be in place throughout Cornwall by June 2018 (Image: Wayne Perry)

The changes will see some people who have received their benefits on a weekly basis now receiving their Universal Credit monthly, meaning they will have to budget differently.

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The full service rollout of Universal Credit started before Christmas in north Cornwall and is expected to be completed by June this year when the Isles of Scilly come online.

However the new system, which applies to anyone not yet enrolled on any benefits or having to declare a change in their circumstances, has been criticised by a charity for driving destitute families into "deep financial crisis" and forcing them to food banks as well as for being over complicated.

Don Gardner, who runs the Camborne Food Bank, warned that for many people in Cornwall who may not be computer literate or even own a smartphone or computer, the enrolment process is convoluted and confusing.

"What we're finding is that for many people having to apply online is difficult and time consuming," he said. "Not everyone has the time to sit in the library for 45 minutes to enrol online especially when most of the time you're only allowed 30 minutes at a time on the library computer.

Mr Gardner said the food bank had overhauled its own IT system and installed new computers to help some families and older people enrol on the Universal Credit system.

"Many people have been told that the day they enrol on UC their other benefits will stop imediately," he added. "It's a big shock to the system for most people. We have helped families who have had to sort out a loan to tie them over until their UC payments come through but that can take up to six weeks.

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Mr Gardner said as there was no paperwork to send out, UC registration is solely done online, which may suit people who are computer literate or for whom having a Facebook page is second nature.

He warned that if new claimants made a mistake on their online form, it might take two weeks for it to be spotted by the DWP, which means an eight-week wait before benefits come through.

Councillor Joyce Duffin, a Liberal Democrat on Cornwall Council for the Mount Hawke and Portreath Division, said that while it was early days to see what impact the new Universal Credit will have on claimants in Cornwall as it was still being rolled out across the county, she agreed it has not been easy.

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Cllr Duffin agreed that many of the issues which hit some other areas of the country when UC was first announced have been ironed out, saying that the technological aspect of it has been both a blessing and a nuisance.

She said: "It has been an advantage for those who have smarphones and are au fait with technologies but it has been a disadvantage to those who may not have a smartphone or have access to the internet.

"We helped a lady recently who didn't have a smartphone. She came to see us at the food bank and we filled the form with her. But she still had to go into the jobcentre to have it all validated and to check she is who she says she is.

"But then she was told she needed a bank account but she could not open one because she didn't have the minimum £50 you need to open an account.

"We were able to lend that money but it still takes three weeks to have a new account so for her that's nine weeks before she can receive any Universal Credit payments. It's a very longwinded process. For many people it's a long wait."

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Only last month it was revealed that The Trussell Trust, which oversees food banks, announced that just 8% of 284 food bank users it surveyed believed the new UC benefit was enough to live on.

The trust's chief executive, Emma Revie, said for many UC was simply "not enough to make ends meet" and left people "locked into debt, hunger, destitution and misery".

Many people have found enrolling on the Universal Credit to be complicated an too 'techie' (Image: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Both Cllr Duffin and Mr Gardner said the food bank was evolving to help families in dire straits as well as to ensure that once out of food poverty they stay out.

Mr Gardner said: "We've launched our Step Up programme to help move families out of the poverty trap and stay out. We've got professional people helping out with benefits, debt management, housing, sexual violence, domestic abuse and job search. We want to move people in desperate needs away from having to rely on food banks."

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"The department does not accept that Universal Credit has caused hardship among claimants but the NAO has seen evidence from local and national bodies that many people have suffered difficulties and hardship during the rollout of the full service," the report said.

"The NAO states the department has not shown sufficient sensitivity towards some claimants and that it does not know how many claimants are having problems with the programme or have suffered hardship."

Universal Credit has not been easy for some people

About one in four new claims - 113,000 - were not paid in full on time last year, with late payments delayed by an average of four weeks, although some waited five months, the NAO reported.

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: "We don't think DWP has shown the same commitment to listening and responding to the hardship faced by claimants.

"We think the larger claims for Universal Credit, such as boosted employment, are unlikely to be demonstrable at any point in future. Nor for that matter will value for money."

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A DWP spokesman said: "Previous administrations poured billions into an outdated system with a complex myriad of benefits, which locked some people into cycles of welfare dependency, whereas we are building a benefit system fit for the 21st century, providing flexible, person-centred support, with evidence showing Universal Credit claimants getting into work faster and staying in work longer.

"Universal Credit is good value for money and is forecast to realise a return on investment of £34 billion over 10 years against a cost of £2 billion, with 200,000 more people in work.

"Furthermore, 83% of claimants are satisfied with the service and the majority agree that it 'financially motivates' them to work."